Go West lobbies for 18-year-old drivers

Many Western Illinois University students are denied a source of potential employment because Illinois is the only state in the country that insists transit drivers be at least 21 years old.

Jude Kiah, director of the Go West bus system, told members of Macomb's McDonough County Public Transportation Committee on Friday that most other states allow the drivers to be 18 or older.

"This is a hardship for us because we can't hire enough people," Kiah said. "We've asked the state to consider a lower age. It doesn't have to be 18. Even approving 20-year olds or 19 year olds would be helpful."

Kiah also reported record ridership on what he called "Campus Route One."

"We're pretty much at capacity on campus," he said, "but we've got the potential to double our numbers on the Macomb city routes."

MCPT Director Nathan Cobb said ridership on the city routes has increased by 10.5 percent over last year and that a cumulative average of 1,005 people per day rode in January.

A cumulative total of 181,180 people rode the Go West buses that month when WIU campus ridership was included. Kiah said that, because of strides in student retention, spring semester student totals climbed from the previous spring after a fall drop in students compared to the start of the 2012-13 school year.

Kiah said Go West needs one more mechanic and that three interviews have been conducted.

"They have lots of experience," he said of the candidates. "We may have someone hired within a week."

Bob Fuhr reported that Bridgeway has hired two more van drivers. Cobb said that two more people have signed up for MCPT's "on demand" van service provided through Bridgeway and the American Red Cross, and that the client base now totals 3,925.

Former Transit Director Gary Ziegler said that, despite some severe winter weather, the vans ran every service day in Macomb last month. He said the weather kept the vans from serving the rest of the county on certain days.

Stan Carlisle of the American Red Cross chapter said, despite the cancellation of some trips due to weather, 37 people took the vans to out-of-county medical appointments in January.

There were 10 trips to Peoria, eight to Springfield, five to Galesburg, four to Quincy, two trips apiece to Carthage, Canton and Stronghurst, and one trip apiece to Rushville, Avon, Monmouth and West Burlington.

Friday was Ziegler's last day of full-time employment as a planner at the Western Illinois Regional Council where he has worked for 40 years. He will continue through March on a part-time basis as acting community development coordinator for the city of Macomb.

Mayor Mike Inman said interviews have started for that position and that he hopes to have someone on the job April 1. He then recognized Ziegler's WIRC retirement with a proclamation declaring Friday as "Gary Ziegler Day" in Macomb.

A retirement reception was held at the Macomb Transit Center. The mayor, in his proclamation, said of Ziegler, "He brought us from humble beginnings to the facility we occupy today."

Inman also noted that Ziegler was instrumental last year in bringing public transportation to Hancock County.

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